Finally
by LandofShadows
Summary: Elliot takes Olivia out for her birthday, and he finally gets what he wants. EO all the way! Please R&R!


**Title: **Finally

**Disclaimer: **Not mine, just fooling around:)

**a/n: **This is just a little one-shot romance fic that I wrote a while ago, but never got around to posting. ENJOY!

* * *

"Hey, Liv," I call to my partner, Olivia Benson, on our way out of the station house, "It's your birthday tomorrow, isn't it?"

"Ugh, please don't remind me!" she says.

"Hey, why don't you and I got out for your birthday?" I suggest. I have had this whole thing planned forever, and I'm hoping that she says yes.

"Like a date?" she asks, "I'm not sure if that's such a good idea, Elliot."

"No, it doesn't have to be a date," I say, knowing that it will turn out to be one, "It could just be two co-workers going out to celebrate a special occasion with each other."

"Sounds like a date to me," she says.

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun," I plead.

"I don't know…" she replies, "You know what, why not?"

"Great, so I'll pick you up at around 5:30 tomorrow?" I ask, relieved that she actually accepted the invitation.

"Okay, see you tomorrow!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" I think to myself. The one woman that I've loved since I met her is finally going on a date with me. Except, of course, she doesn't know that it's really a date. I haven't been this excited since the girl I asked to go to senior prom with me said yes.

I go home, eat dinner, take a shower, and then I watch the news for a little bit, but I can't concentrate on anything the reporters aresaying. I keep thinking about Olivia. I am going to take the most beautiful woman alive out for her birthday! I try to go to bed, but I can't sleep. It's a good thing that tomorrow is Saturday and I have the day off, because I wouldn't have been able to concentrate.

I finally get to sleep, and my dreams are filled with her. Not only can I see her, but I can feel her soft hair in my fingers, I can smell that soap she uses. I actually considered buying a bar of it, just so I could remember the smell of her. I watch the clock the entire day. I'm afraid that if I go out somewhere, she might call or that I will lose track of time and I will be late and she will think that I blew her off. I know these ideas are crazy, but, hey, I'm in love!

I was talking to a good friend of mine a few months ago. He is a cop down in the 21st, and he knows both me and Olivia, and he asked me, "Do believe in one true love?" I told him, "I don't know, why?" And he said to me, "Well, because, for you, it's Olivia." I probably looked like and idiot sitting there at the bar, with my mouth hanging open. I was stunned. I told him that I loved my wife, like I always did when people asked about my relationship with Olivia.

But, after that day, I realized that I _did_ love Olivia, and that my love for Kathy was only my love for my kids, not for her. I realized that for so long, I've been in love with Olivia, and it seems that I was the last person to notice it. Kathy probably noticed it many years ago, and she finally got tired of it and left me. I don't know what would have happened if I had gone the rest of my life without realizing that I loved Olivia, but right now, I'm happier than ever. I finally have someone to hold on to.

It's weird, you know, wanting someone that you can't have. She is my partner, the one who seems to run from relationships. Every time she meets someone that she might be able to spend the rest of her life with, she runs away from them, but now I hope she can realize that I am here, and I'm not going anywhere. I guess her past has made her almost associate love with pain. She loved her mother, and her mother loved her, I'm sure, but she was an alcoholic, and that was almost as painful as knowing why she was even here.

I spend the rest of the day thinking about these things, I'm worried that she'll run away tonight, but that would be kind of hard, considering what I have planned. I put on my suit almost five hours before I even have to leave to go pick her up, but I want to be ready. After getting ready, I spend the next couple of hours trying to occupy my time, but I end up staring at the clock.

Finally, I decide to start heading over to her apartment. When I get there, I ring the doorbell and she comes down to meet me. She looks stunning in her little black dress that hugs her feminine features beautifully. The dress reaches down to just above her knees and the sleeves are off the shoulder. I have never seen anyone look as good as she does right now. Of course, I would have thought that if she had worn sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt.

"Hey, you look beautiful," I blurt out.

"Thanks, you look nice, too," she giggled, and our eyes meet, "So, where are we going?"

"Oh, you know, just out," I tell her. I don't want to give anything away.

"Come on, tell me," she begs. I feel a new wave of butterflies in my stomach with each of her words.

"Nope, it's a mystery, detective," I say.

"Fine then, I guess I'll just have to further investigate this matter," she teases.

"Okay, well, the evidence points this way," I tease back, directing her towards my car, which is double-parked.

The whole ride there, she asks me where we're going.

"Come on, Elliot, just tell me," she pleads.

"Well, I hope you like boats!" I say, just as we pull up to the docks. I reserved a spot for the two of us on one of those boat tours of Manhattan.

"Oh my God, Elliot," she said, stunned, "I've always wanted to go on one of these!"

"Eh, I figured you would like it," I reply casually, "Come on, the boat leaves in fifteen minutes."

"Okay," she squeals, as I openthe cardoor for her.

She walks quickly over to the boat. I can tell she is as excited as I am. Dinner is served right as we pull away from the shore.

"Mmm," Olivia says over our first course of lobster, "Elliot, this is excellent."

"Yeah, I know," I say, cracking open my claw. The second course of steak and the dessert of praline parfait are as good as the lobster. After dinner, we make our way up to the top deck.

"Wow, this is so beautiful," Olivia breaths as we look out over the water at the city.

"I know," I say, "All day, we see such dark and terrible things, you know?"

"Yeah," she agrees, "it's nice to step back and look at the beauty of this city, isn't it?"

I nod my head in agreement, even though the most beautiful thing about New York is standing right next to me.

We stand out on the top deck in silence for a few minutes. I eventually glance over at Olivia and I see a tear escape from one of her eyes.

"Liv, what's wrong?" I ask.

"Nothing, Elliot," she says quietly, "It's just that, for once in my life, it seems like everything is going to be okay."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," she says, smiling and crying at the same time, "I think I'm falling in love with you."

I look directly into her eyes, smile, and say, "I already have."

I pull her into a hug and we begin to dance to the soft music that is playing through the speakers above our heads.

I finally have what I want, and I know that nothing, _nothing_, can change that because, right here, right now, Olivia is in my arms, and neither of us have any intention of letting go.

**THE END!**


End file.
